“BLESSINGS OF SCIENCE”
Just about 6,000 years ago, men lived in a cave. He dressed himself in skins. He fed himself by hunting and fishing. He had to make with his own hands everything he needed: He went long distances on his own legs. His world was narrow, dark, difficult and dangerous. Modern man lives a vastly different life. He is comfortably and elegantly housed, fed and clothed. His world is broad, bright, easy and reasonably safe. Old time physical exertion is no longer necessary for him.
It is science that has brought about this “brave new world”. This life of leisure and pleasure. In so far as science has done this, it is blessing. Let us first look at the bright side of the medal.
Science has made wonderful machines. It has discovered marvellous energies which run these machines. Man need no longer toil and moil with his hands and legs. The machine does most of his work for him. It gives him leisure. The dream of a push-button existence has come true for him.
Distance has been annihilated. Modern transport and communication have made the world shrink almost to nothing. Men and things and news and views can girdle the globe with lightning speed. Inter-planetary travel
is now a certainty. We are now on the eve of colonizing new planets.
Our lives have become healthier. Modern hygiene, sanitation, medicine and surgery are conquering more and more physical and mental ills day by day. No disease is beyond cure now. The longevity of life has increased. The quinine has finished malaria and glucose injections put a new life in a dying man. Surgery has created wonders.
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Science also provides entertainments to millions of people. Cinema entertains us and radio and television provides recreation. The production of food has increased. Industry has been revolutionized. Starvation has been controlled. In short, the scientific progress is amazing.
It is an established fact that science has made valuable contribution to the development of human intellect. Material civilization has also made a wonderful stride. But the moral development of man or moral values has been totally neglected. Science has provided us with a huge stock of knowledge but unfortunately it is not being put to right use. As result of this, we have miserably failed to achieve the desired object. We have more knowledge and skill but less of character and self-control. Scientific development has out stripped our moral or spiritual progress. It has made us selfish, greedy and cruel. The machine has made us materialistic. The existing condition without a balance will make our lives miserable with a horrible future. So, Lord Tennyson
laments that knowledge has come but wisdom lingers.
